Charles "Jerry" Helton

Charles “Jerry” Helton, 93, of Winston-Salem, died peacefully on February 20, 2026, at Salemtowne Healthcare Center after being under hospice care for several months.

Jerry was born in Yadkinville, NC on August 22, 1932, to the late Charles Raymond (Bill) and Jessie Nicholson Helton. He attended Yadkinville High School and graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1954. Afterward, he served in the U.S. Army in Germany for two years. He married Sara Jane Robertson of White Plains, NC, in 1959; they were married for 41 years.

Jerry worked for Reynolds Tobacco Co. for eight years as a production supervisor and then for Prudential Insurance Co. for 20 years as a sales agent. In 1986, he established his own business in the financial services field and continued this endeavor until he retired in 2011. After retiring, he spent much time gardening and developing his skills as an avid photographer and enjoyed being a part of the local Piedmont Photography Club. A birthright Quaker, he joined Maple Springs UMC in 2004 and later attended Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem.

In addition to his parents and his grandparents, G.W. and Rosa Edgerton, who helped raise him, he was preceded in death by his wife, Sara Jane; and his two brothers, George Helton and Steve Helton.

Jerry is survived by two daughters, Sharon Helton Frennea and Lisa Anne Helton, both of Winston-Salem; two grandchildren, Christina Noell Cooper of Atlanta, GA, and Matthew Allen Cooper and his wife Virginia of Seattle WA; former sisters-in-law, Joel H. Long and Janie D. Helton; a niece, Ann Marie Fowler; and two nephews, Whitt Helton and Joey Helton, and their families.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 1p.m., at Twin City Bible Church, 1337 Ebert Street in Winston-Salem, with Pastor Cary Hardy officiating. The family will receive friends following the memorial service. A private graveside service will be held in White Plains, NC.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Winston-Salem Rescue Mission, https://wsrescue.org/.